Martin fennell



(No Model.)

M; FENNELL.

GAR COUPLING. No. 321,014. PatenteQJ-une 30, 1885.

NITED STATES PATENT MARTIN FENNELL, OF SKANEATELES, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN MGNAMARA, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,014, dated June 30, 1885.

Application filed April 20, 1885. (No modelfi To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN FENNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Skaneateles, in the county-of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Car Couplers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to couplers for re freight and other cars, my object being to provide an automatic coupler, and one which may be uncoupled from theground, at the side, from the top, or from the platform of a car, thus obviating the necessity of endanger ing thelives of those whose duty it is to couple and uncouple cars; and, also, by the peculiar formation of the coupler, to render it capable of uncouplingitself in case of an accident to an adjacent car bybeing thrown from the track; and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation representing two freight-cars provided with my coupler, the same being shown as coupled. Fig. 2is aplan of the coup lers; and Figs. 3 and 4 are details, hereinafter referred to.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

A A represent cars; B, the usual, hangers for supporting the couplers; O, the draw-head; C, the draw-bar, and D a coiled spring around the same for reducing the shock occurring when the couplers come together. Upon the head 0, and at the front thereof, is an upwardly-projecting horn, E, of substantially hook'shape, the outer surface of which is con- 40 vex, as at E, and the inner surface of which is concave, as at E. Upon the side of the head, and in the same plane with the horn E, are lateral projections or shoulders, F, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

At a suitable distance from the face of the draw-head is a cylindrical aperture,G, through which is passed a correspondingly-shaped rod, G, which is extended toward the sides of the car and bent to form handles G Rigid up- 5 on the rod G, which forms a bearing therefor, is mounted a U shaped connecting link or bail, H, which is formed to agree with the top of the draw-head and rest upon the shoulders F while in a horizontal position. Each bail or link is enlarged at its outer end, as at H, and provided with an upwardly-flaring outwardly-projecting guiding lip or tongue, H

The projection or horn E is recessed, as at E, for the reception of the head of an ordinary coupling-pin, and the draw-head is recessed in its face to receive a link, E, so that, if desired, the ordinary link and pin may be used.

Instead of the rod G and handle G I may connect the link II by a chain, I, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1,) to the front or top of the car, to be operated by a lever, I.

This being the construction, the operation is as follows: To set the head for coupling with an approaching car it is only necessary to raise the U-shaped bail or link by means of either mechanism described, whereupon, when the cars come together, and by reason of the shock produced thereby, the bail or link will be swung forward, falling over the horn or hook II upon the opposite head.

The operation of uncoupling is, from the above description, .in connection with the drawings, obvious, in that it will be seen that it is only necessary to lift the link by means of the rod G or lever I.

By reason of the peculiar formation of the bail H and the horn or hook E, it is not necessary to set the head for coupling, in that if two cars approach each other and the links H be projecting in front thereof they will meet and one ride upon the other, forcing the opposite link back against the car, while the other falls inplace. Furthermore, should one bail be elevated and the other down, the lip of the one down would rideupon the convex surface of the horn and drop into place; so that it will be seen that no matter in what position the links may be, or how much higher the one car is than the other, the coupler will 9 5 surely operate.

It very often happens thatone car will jump the track and be thrown over on its side, in which event cars provided with the ordinary coupler will all be derailed, and thus completely wreck the train. To obviate this danger, and to allow the cars an abundance of lateral play for turning curves, I have formed the U shaped bail H with the lateral divergence or enlargement H. Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, in which one coupler, X, is represented as in a position and belonging to a car that has been derailed and thrown over, it will be seen that by reason of the lat eral enlargement or divergence of the bail and the peculiar shape of the horn, it will, instead of pulling the adjacent cars after it, uncouple itself by sliding over the horn, the inner sursurfaces'E E of the horn E.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination of the draw-head 0, provided with the horn E, having the convex and concave surfaces E E of the bail H, having the enlargement H, whereby said link when at a certain angle to an opposite coupler may disconnect itself by riding upon with devices for raising said link, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the draw-head 0, pro jecting curved horn E, having the convex surface E, and the concave surface E, with the face of the bail riding upward upon the curved bail H, mounted upon a rock-shaft having a bearing in rear of said horn and Within the draw-head, said shaft being bent at each end to form crank-handles, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN FENNELL. \Vitnesses:

G. H. BUTLER, N. S. BO\VDISI-I. 

